SpaceX Launch Successfully Delivers Satellite Into Orbit

SpaceX launched a Malaysian satellite into orbit late Monday night, the second successful launch for the private space exploration company, which aims to cut the cost of orbital transport tenfold.

After a series of costly failures, SpaceX had its first successful launch last September, but that mission carried a dummy payload. Before that breakthrough, the company lost a Malaysian satellite deployment system along with the ashes of actor James Doohan, who played Scotty on Star Trek, and an inexpensive NASA satellite.

This time, the Falcon 1 rocket carried RazakSAT, a lightweight Malaysian satellite. It was built by ATSB, an Asian satellite design firm, and carries a high resolution camera that will be used to monitor natural resources.

RazakSAT was launched from Kwajalein Atoll in the South Pacific, and reached orbit roughly ten minutes later.

Satellite launches are a lucrative business, and SpaceX has been profitable since last year, before it had made a single delivery. The company was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk who also launched PayPal and Tesla.

Later this year, SpaceX will attempt the first launch of its larger Falcon 9 rocket, which may be used to carry cargo to the International Space Station once the shuttle has retired.

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